Vehicle Electronics Unit Counter for Secure Temporal Authorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle control systems using user terminals, such as mobile phones, face challenges in securely and temporarily authorizing access to vehicle functionalities, particularly in rental scenarios, where conventional time bases like vehicle clocks can be easily falsified.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dedicated counter in the electronic unit that is initialized and periodically modified, stored in both the electronic unit and server, with specific initialization values and periods, making it harder to falsify, and using a processor and computer program instructions or an ASIC to manage this counter, along with methods for synchronization and mutual authentication between the server and electronic unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional time base (vehicle clock) is used for temporal authorization, then the system is easy to implement, but the security against falsification is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The counter is pre-initialized with a specific value and modification period during system setup or vehicle production. This preliminary configuration establishes the temporal authorization framework before actual use, making the system secure from the outset without requiring complex real-time validation logic during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The counter value and its modification rules are synchronized between the electronic control unit and the server. The server maintains a copy of the counter state and can verify the electronic unit's counter readings, creating a redundant verification mechanism that prevents falsification without requiring the electronic unit to independently calculate complex time-based authorization.
2Reliability
If a dedicated counter with specific initialization is used, then the security against falsification is improved, but the synchronization requirements between server and electronic unit increase
Solution Approach 1:
The counter is modified periodically at predetermined intervals (e.g., daily, weekly, or monthly) rather than continuously. This periodic modification reduces the frequency of synchronization events between the server and electronic unit, minimizing time loss while maintaining security. The virtual key remains valid throughout each period, allowing multiple access operations without repeated synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts the counter modification period based on the rental duration and security requirements. For short-term rentals, the counter may be initialized to expire at a specific future date, while for long-term rentals, periodic extension is possible. This dynamic approach optimizes the balance between security and synchronization overhead.
3Reliability
If the counter is diversified for each vehicle, then the falsification difficulty increases, but the system complexity and initialization requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Each vehicle's electronic control unit is initialized with unique parameters including a specific counter starting value and modification period. These parameters are stored in the unit's memory during manufacturing or first activation. The diversification is achieved by varying numerical parameters rather than requiring different hardware architectures, maintaining ease of manufacture while ensuring each vehicle has a unique, falsification-resistant counter.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an electronics unit (11) to be fit in a vehicle (10) and designed to control a functionality of the vehicle (10) upon receipt of a request from a user terminal (20), characterized in that same comprises: - a memory unit designed to store a counter and data representing a duration; - means for periodically modifying the value of the counter, the period of time being equal to said duration; - control means for controlling said functionality only when the counter is within a given range of values. Also disclosed are a method carried out in an electronics unit of said type, a method for sharing a time frame between a server and an electronics unit, and a method for synchronizing a server and an electronics unit.